Finland’s leading shipbuilding experts are launching an ambitious research project, the aim of which is to add value and substance to sustainable business. The project will be coordinated by the University of Turku’s Technology Research Center. Among the industry partners are Meyer Turku and NIT.
“We are looking for new insights into the life cycle costs of cruise ships,” says Project Manager Matti Koskela from NIT. “It’s increasingly important for cruise operators to understand all aspects of sustainability and get reliable data for their investment decisions. The life cycle of a modern cruise ship can be extended to 40 years or even more.”
The project is called Sustainability and Transparency in Shipbuilding Networks (SUSTIS). Matti Koskela says that NIT is participating in the project by focusing on its strongest business areas, such as ship interiors and piping.
“For example, we will be studying the life cycle costs of steel pipes and comparing the results to the sustainability performance of plastic solutions. By understanding more we can better serve the shipyard and the ship owner.”
NIT has been a turnkey supplier for Turku yard since 2004. The company has designed and installed interior and technical solutions in the world’s biggest cruise ships, and will be contributing strongly to the Mein Schiff series, supplying restaurants, bars, crew areas and stairs up to 2018.
“Sustainability has been part of the shipbuilding business for years, but we haven’t discovered all the connections and opportunities yet,” says Jaana Hänninen, Environmental Manager of Meyer Turku. “It is rapidly becoming a big everyday issue. We need accurate data and a transparent process, and we need to implement cradle-to-cradle thinking for this industry.”
Hänninen says that it would be wrong to look at sustainability exclusively from an environmental perspective:
“It’s all about business that is reasonable, efficient and that produces high quality. It’s not greenwashing – instead it’s a very solid business that offers good value to all stakeholders. We appreciate our suppliers who have the courage to collaborate in this kind of project, think outside the box and develop their businesses in the long term. We are happy looking into the future with NIT on this project.”